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Bob the Builder
Bob the Builder is a British-American children's animated television show created by Keith Chapman. In the original series Bob appears as a building contractor specializing in masonry in a stop motion animated programme with his colleague Wendy, various neighbours and friends, and their gang of anthropomorphised work-vehicles and equipment (all made of clay). The show is broadcast in many countries, but originates from the United Kingdom where Bob is voiced by English actor Neil Morrissey. The show was later created using CGI animation starting with the spin-off series Ready, Steady, Build!. In each episode, Bob and his group help with renovations, construction, and repairs and with other projects as needed. The show emphasizes conflict resolution, co-operation, socialization and various learning skills. Bob's catchphrase is "Can we fix it?", to which the other characters respond with "Yes we can!" This phrase is also the title of the show's theme song, which was a million-selling number one hit in the UK. Impact Bob the Builder was nominated in the BAFTA "Pre-school animation" category from 1999 to 2009 FR3,RTE and BBC/CBeebies, and 2016-pre TF1,SRG and Channel 5 "Children's Animation" category in 2003 for the special episode "A Christmas to Remember".3 Of the show's success, Sarah Ball said: Bob the Builder has been parodied by Robot Chicken in the episode "More Blood, More Chocolate", and by Comedy Inc. as Bodgy Builder. Bob was also parodied on Cartoon Network's MAD in the episode "S'UP / Mouse M.D." In the episode when Mickey Mouse portrays Gregory House he goes to perform surgery on Bob who smashed his thumb asking similar to his famous catchphrase "Can we fix it?" Mickey then replies no and orders for it to be amputated. He later appears in another episode when Bob interacts with Manny from Handy Manny after they get into a fender bender and get into an argument with Bob saying "Stop copying my show!" He leaves then someone tells Manny he just got built. In another episode, "Kung Fu Blander / Destroy Bob the Builder Destroy", Mad parodies Bob the Builder and Destroy Build Destroy. In the episode, Andrew W.K. of Destroy Build Destroy, is portrayed as being a jerk towards Bob. Andrew destroys everything Bob builds. In the end, Bob transforms his construction vehicles into Build-Tron (a parody of Voltron). A New Yorker cartoon shows a parent in a toy store asking for toys depicting Alex the Architect, supposedly a white-collar equivalent to Bob the Builder. Some have complained about technical errors and lack of proper safety practices in the programme, especially the absence of protective eyewear.5 However, in later episodes, Bob is seen using safety glasses. Characters Humans * Bob the Builder (catchphrase: "Can we fix it?") is a General Contractor and head of his own construction yard based in Bobsville and later in Sunflower Valley and now Fixham Harbour. Bob is from a family of builders - his father Robert is also a builder and so was his grandfather Billy. He is assisted by Wendy and a host of anthropomorphic vehicles in various projects in and around the town. He is the owner of Pilchard the Cat and he is not good with computers. Some of the problems in the show arise from Bob's habit of forgetting to turn his mobile phone on. Bob is voiced by Neil Morrissey in the UK and in the US, he is voiced by William Dufris, Greg Proops, and Marc Silk. Bob the Builder * Wendy is Bob's business partner who runs the office and keeps the business in order, and often organizes tools and equipment. She is also seen doing construction work in many episodes. Wendy is often worried about Bob's cat, Pilchard, as shown in the episode Pilchard in a Pickle and in the song Find That Cat. Wendy is voiced by Kate Harbour in the UK and by Lorelei King in the US. * Spud (Voiced by Rob Rackstraw) is a mischievous scarecrow on Farmer Pickles' farm who tries to help Bob and the crew. Often he causes more problems than he solves, but it usually all works out in the end. It is Spud who needs to learn to be patient, not to eat all of the food, not to take things from other characters, etc. Spud has a habit of trying to do work and with his limited intelligence getting it wrong and spoiling materials. (male voice; catchphrase: "OK, Farmer Pickles" and "Spud's on the job Bob!" * Farmer Pickles is a nearby farmer, and a good friend of Bob who often helps out in construction projects with Bob. He is the owner of Travis the tractor, Sumsy the forklift, Packer the truck, Scruffty the dog, and Spud the scarecrow. Farmer Pickles is voiced by Neil Morrissey. Recurring human characters * Dot – Bob's Mother and also Robert(Bob's Dad)'s Wife * Mrs. Broadbent – A Bobsville resident and neighbour of Bob. She is voiced by Kate Harbour. * Mr. Beasley – A Bobsville and later Sunflower Valley resident and a frequent customer * Mr. Bernard Bentley – The Bobsville town building inspector and later Mayor of Sunflower Valley and then Fixham Harbour building inspector, and Barbara Bentley's husband. He is voiced by Rob Rackstraw. * Mrs. Barbara Bentley – Bernard Bentley's wife. * Mr. Dixon – Postman and brother to a famous football goalkeeper * Mr. Jeremy Ellis – Bobsville Museum manager * JJ – Parts supplier and Hamish's new owner. He is Jamaican. He is voiced by Colin McFarlane. * Molly – JJ's daughter * Mrs. Percival – School headteacher. She is voiced by Kate Harbour. * Mrs. Potts – a Bobsville resident and owner of Tommy the Tortoise. She is voiced by Kate Harbour. * Mr. Angelo Sabatini – Runs the local pizza shop and cater Sunflower valley Bakery * Mr. David Mockney – Fixham Harbour Museum manager. * Robert – Bob's Dad also a Builder Married to Dot Minor human characters * Mr. Costello – Drive-in movie manager * David Dixon – Famous Football goalkeeper and brother to Mr. Dixon * Dora – Bob's aunt. She is never seen. * Doris – Mr. Ellis' aunt. In Bob's Aunt, Bob picks up the letter which is wet and he thinks Aunt Dora is coming and then later on, they find out that it's not Aunt Dora, but Mr. Ellis's aunt Doris. * Dorothy – Bob and Tom's mother. She is voiced by June Whitfield. * Mr. Fothergill – A Bobsville resident, the computer repair man and Hamish's first owner. He gave Hamish to JJ and Molly after he doscovered that he was allergic to him. He is voiced by Rob Rackstraw. * Jenny – Wendy's sister * Mavis the Postwoman – postwoman. She is mentioned only in Buffalo Bob and Scruffty the Detective but never seen. * Marjorie – The new manager at Farmer Pickles's factory * Pam Goody – Runs the Arts Centre * Robert – Bob and Tom's father * Tom – Bob's fraternal twin brother * Mrs. Sophia Sabatini – Mr Sabatini's wife * Mr. Stevens – An archaeologist * Mr. Williams – An airport manager * Sandy Beach – A cave expert and friend of Mr. Ellis. He speaks in an American accent and has long hair in a ponytail. He is voiced by Rupert Degas. * Jana von Strudel – She yodelled with Roley. She is Austrian and speaks in a German accent. She's also the owner of Zoomer. Project: Build It recurring human characters * Annie Pickles – She is a seaweed farmer and Farmer Pickle's cousin. * Meg McDonald – She is a dairy farmer and is Piper's aunt as well as the owner of Dodger. * Baz – He is a sheep shearer and Farmer Pickles' cousin. * Pablo – Mr Sabatini's brother. * Sunny – The daughter of Marjorie and the twin brother of Saffron. * Saffron – The son of Marjorie and the twin sister of Sunny. * Cassie – The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sabatini and the twin sister of Carlos. * Carlos – The son of Mr. and Mrs. Sabatini and the twin brother of Cassie. * Piper McDonald – He is Meg's nephew and assists her with her dairy products. Animals * Pilchard (voiced by Kate Harbour) - Bob's pet cat. She likes to stay at the yard and occasionally rides in Dizzy's mixer. * Scruffty - Farmer Pickles' pet dog. * Bird - Roley's best friend, who goes "Toot, toot." * Birdie - Roley's new friend in Sunflower Valley. Main vehicle characters Original series Construction vehicles * Scoop – a backhoe loader. Scoop is the leader of the machines. : Color: Yellow : Gender: Male, female in Swedish and Polish versions : Catchphrase: "No prob, Bob!" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw (UK), Alan Marriott and David Menkin (US) * Muck – a dump truck who has an additional blade of a bulldozer. Muck often acts before thinking and subsequently gets in trouble for it. : Color: Red : Gender: Male in UK, female in US version : Catchphrase: "Muck to the rescue!" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw (UK), Lorelei King, Lachele Carl, and Sophie Aldred (US) * Lofty – a crane. Lofty lacks the confidence shown by the others; he is hesitant and timid, but with the encouragement of the team comes through in the end. : Color: Blue : Gender: Male in UK, female in US version : Catchphrase: "Err, yeah, I think so!," usually said in response to the question "Can we fix it?" : Voiced by: Neil Morrissey (UK), Sonya Leite and Emma Tate (US) * Dizzy – a little cement mixer. Dizzy is portrayed as the youngest in the yard until Scratch was introduced. She is eager, curious, and easily excitable. : Color: Orange & Black : Gender: Female : Catchphrase: "Brilliant!" : Voiced by: Kate Harbour (UK), Lorelei King (US) * Roley – a steamroller who loves to make up songs and frequently spins his eyes when he is excited. : Color: Green : Gender: Male, female in US and Swedish version : Catchphrase: "Rock and roll!" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw (UK), Maria Darling (US) Other vehicles * Travis Tractor – a tractor. Travis is owned by Farmer Pickles, and is often seen pulling a wood sided trailer. He helps out the crew when they need it and keeps an eye on Spud the scarecrow. : Color: Turquoise : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Travis Tractor's my name, moving loads is my game." and "OK, Farmer Pickles." : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw (UK), Alan Marriott (US) Project: Build It! * Scrambler – a quadbike (ATV). Scrambler was won by Bob for designing Sunflower Valley's new settlement. : Color: Dark Blue : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Let's Scram!" "Awesome!" and "Cool as a Mule" : Voiced by: Rupert Degas & Alan Marriott * Benny – a small excavator. Benny looks up to Scoop. He speaks in a British accent. He is the second youngest of the team.1 : Color: Magenta : Gender: Male, Female UK and US Versions and JAP dub : Catchphrase: "Unreal banana peel" or "It's unreal, banana peel!" in reference to Scoop's yellow color : Voiced by: Emma Tate Ready, Steady, Build! * Scratch (Voiced by Kate Harbour & Jo Wyatt)– A small digger who is currently the youngest of the team. : Color: Light Blue : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "I'm part of the team!" : Voiced by: Kate Harbour Recurring vehicle characters Original series * Skip – a deposit dump truck. Skip belongs to JJ. : Color: Greenish-Yellow : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: : Voiced by:Neil Morrissey * Trix – a forklift. Just like Skip, Trix belongs to JJ. : Color: Light-Purple : Gender: Female : Catchphrase: "Easy peasy!" : Voiced by: Kate Harbour * Scoot - a snowmobile. Scoot Belongs to Tom. : Color: Yellow and Black : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Christmas, here we come!" : Voiced by:Rob Rackstraw Project: Build It! * Zoomer - a snowmobile. : Color: Purple and Black : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: : Voiced by:Rupert Degas * Sumsy – a forklift who greatly resembles Trix (may be the same model), explaining her absence in Project Build-It. Sumsy is owned by Farmer Pickles and works at his factory. : Color: Maroon and Yellow-striped : Gender: Female : Catchphrase: "I can pack 'em, I can stack 'em!" : Voiced by: Kate Harbour * Packer – a semi-trailer truck. Packer is owned by Farmer Pickles and has two trailers, a flatbed and a covered trailer resembling the 1988 Freightliner FL50. He delivers for all of Sunflower Valley. (male voice; catchphrases: "Pick up and Deliver!" and "Pack me up and watch me go-go")2 : Color: Red : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Pick up and Deliver!" and "Pack me up and watch me go-go" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw * Dodger – a pickup truck, who looks similar to the 1930s Ford truck due to his shape. Dodger is owned by Meg and is used to carry milk. He has a crane with a grabber that lifts the milk. His horn makes strange honking sounds that the rest of the team find funny.3 : Color: Light-Blue and White : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Dodger Delivers" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw * Tumbler – a concrete transport truck. He is the loudest machine on Bob's team. He is big and can do big things that Dizzy can't.4 : Color: Green and Orange-Yellow : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "I'm a Rumblin' and a Tumblin'" and "Rollin' and a Tumblin'" : Voiced by: Rupert Degas * Flex – a cherry picker. Flex tends to have an extensive knowledge of plants and loves Horticulture. He has a Northern Irish accent.5 : Color: Yellow : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Fantastic Flex!" : Voiced by: Rupert Degas * Bristle – a street sweeper. Bristle is very eager to help out the others by doing jobs often ahead of the team. Bristle seems to whistle very often. He also tends to be a neat freak.6 : Color: Grey and Blue : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Clean as a whistle" or "Clean as a whistle bristle, that's me!" : Voiced by: Rupert Degas * Splasher – an amphibious car, who works at Bobland Bay.7 : Color: Yellow & Blue : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Never fear, Super Splasher is here!" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw * Gripper – a crane. Gripper speaks with a Scouse accent (southern drawl in US dub). Gripper and Grabber refer to the other characters as "mate" ("partner" in the US dub) mainly due to stereotypical behaviours.8 : Color: Brown and Green : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Gripper and Grabber having fun together" : Voiced by: Rupert Degas * Grabber – a excavator. Grabber speaks with a Scouse accent (southern drawl in US dub). Gripper and Grabber refer to the other characters as "mate" ("partner" in US dub) mainly due to stereotypical behaviours.9 : Color: Green and Brown : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Grabber and Gripper having fun together" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw * R Vee - a Van. He is seen in Scrambler to the Rescue. : Color: Blue : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Amazing R Vee, That's Me!" : Voiced by: Rob Rackstraw * Jackaroo - a Pickup Truck. He seen only in Built to Be Wild. : Color: Blue : Gender: Male Ready Steady Build * Rubble - a Dump Truck. He helped with the team to build a dinosaur fun park in The Big Dino Dig : Color: Yellow : Gender: Male : Catchphrase: "Okay Bob!" : Voiced by: Other characters * Pirate Brickbeard (Voiced by Rupert Degas) is a pirate who founded Fixham Harbour and sails in a ship called The Bonny Beard. He is believed to have hidden a golden hammer in Fixham. (male voice; catchphrase: "No one will ever find my Golden Hammer! Har har!"). He is only seen in The Legend of the Golden Hammer. He also made cameos in several Ready, Steady, Build! episodes. Original Series The following series were originally shown on the BBC One in the CBBC portion of the schedules. Bob the Builder is now on CBeebies,1 BBC Two and Nick Jr.. In later series, there was a two-part episode, "Bob and the Sliding Doors", where Bob, Wendy, and the crew tell caregivers (parents, teachers, nannies, etc.) how to keep children safe from sliding doors. The first part was shown at the beginning of the show after two of Bob's crew does the job and the second part was shown towards the end before two additional crew does the job. All episodes were produced by HiT Entertainment and CPTV. Season 1 (1998 + 1999) Season 2 (Mid 1999) Season 3 (1999 + 2000) Season 4 (Late 2000) Season 5 (Early 2001) Season 6 (Late 2001) Season 7 (Early 2002) Season 8 (Late 2002) Season 9 (2003) Project: Build It (2005-2010) This show was centered around Bob and his crew's adventures in their new home of Sunflower Valley. Many new machines were introduced, and throughout the episodes Bob always tried to be eco-friendly. The show's intro begins with one of Bob's crew and one of other machines doing the job before Wendy and Bob wave good morning and begin their jobs. The show ends with Bob's crew going to sleep and Wendy and Bob waving good night before one of Bob's crew and one of other trucks does the job. All episodes were produced by HiT Entertainment, PBS and Nick Jr. Season 10 (Mid 2005) Season 11 (Mid 2005) Season 12 (Early 2006) Season 13 (Mid 2006) Season 14 (2007) Season 15 (2007-2008) Season 16 (2008-2010) Bob's Mini Projects (shorts) In recent years, a number of 2-minute shorts, called Bob's Mini Projects, has been unaired on any channel. Except aired in the United States whenever an episode was paired but was later replaced with Bob's Jobs in Ready, Steady, Build!: # Scoop and the Worms # Rowdy Roley # Lofty and the Otters # Dizzy's Tree # Muck's Water Butt # Hedges and Holes # Spud the Tree # Recycling Pilchard # Bob and the Hedgehogs # Bob's Hammock # Spud's Picnic # Wendy in the Middle # Beachcomber Bob # Sailaway Spud # Spud's Lunchbreak # Bob's Birdfeeder # Scoop's Reflections # Spud's Toasted Marshmallows # Benny's Animal Sounds # Roley the Worm Charmer # Stepping Stones # Scrambler's Off-Road Team # Dizzy's Ducklings # Scrambler the Shepherd # Benny's Keepasake # Beach Music # Shut that Gate # Hide and Tweet # Tumbler gets Cleaned Up # Finder Flex # Bristle the Sheepdog # It's Oh So Early Ready Steady Build! The third spin-off is Bob The Builder: Ready, Steady, Build!. The gang has now apparently moved to a place called Fixham Harbour and the show is now animated in full CGI animation instead of the traditional stop-motion animation. It features new characters that can move on water. The characters from the previous spin-offs (like Gripper, Grabber, Splasher, Scrambler, Packer and Ella) are still present. Zoomer appears to have his last appearance in Project: Build It currently. There's a segment called Bob's Jobs where a live action child appears on Bob's computer screen and needs help but Gripper and Grabber come in with stuff like rocks, crates, etc. and Bob finds out a safer way to use them. It's unknown if Ready, Steady, Build will be completed. Season 1 aired every day on CBeebies between April 12 to May 7, 2010. Season 17 (2010-2011) Season 18 (2010-2012) Bob's Jobs Bob's Jobs is a ready steady build segment # Planter # Bird Feeding table # Rock Garden # Wind-Proof Planter # Composting Bin Movie Specials Original Series Project: Build It # Bob's Big Plan (2005) # When Bob Became a Builder (2005) # Built to Be Wild (2006) # Race to the Finish (2007) Ready, Steady, Build! # Bob the Builder: The Legend of the Golden Hammer (2010) - Runtime: 60:06 # Big Dino Dig (2011) - Runtime: 60:45 # The Diggineers (2013) - Runtime: 60:37 Merchandise Various companies manufacture licensed Bob the Builder Merchandise (e.g.: Brio, Lego Duplo, Hasbro, Learning Curve, etc.) since about 1999 to present. Sometimes some fans make fan-made merchandise for the television show, such as racing games that are not related to the show.[citation needed] Lego Duplo/Explorer Lego began manufacturing licensed Duplo Bob the Builder sets in 2001. Lego Explorer also made the sets using the same bricks that Duplo used (e.g. Naughty Spud, Wallpaper Wendy, etc.). The sets were aimed at younger children, two and up. Duplo manufactured the sets (e.g. Scoop at Bobland Bay, Muck Can Do It, etc.) until 2009 when Lego's contract expired.[citation needed] Hasbro Hasbro created licensed Bob the Builder characters. They included talking characters and others to go with the Bob the Builder line. The Hasbro line was discontinued in 2005 when Learning Curve took the chance to take over.[citation needed] Learning Curve Learning Curve among countless others held a license to make the toys, but discontinued them. They first merchandised their Bob the Builder products in 2005 after the Hasbro range was discontinued. Learning Curve also created the Thomas & Friends characters, while the company still makes the sets (e.g. Scoop, Muck, Lofty, Dizzy, andys trailer etc.) and then sold them to stores. They discontinued them in 2010 and it is unknown if they could ever return to making them. The toys are currently available in the United Kingdom by Character Options.[citation needed] Character World In 2012 Character World announced that they had signed a license to manufacture official Bob the Builder bedding and bedroom textiles. A duvet cover is said to be available in the UK in late 2012. Video games Various companies released the Bob the Builder games. * Fix it Fun! (Game Boy Color, NTSC/PAL) - 2000 * Can We Fix It? (PC, PS1, NTSC/PAL) - 2001 * Bob Builds a Park (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2002 * Bob's Castle Adventure (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2003 * Project: Build It (PS2, PAL only) - 2005 * Bob the Builder: Can-Do-Zoo (PC, NTSC/PAL) - 2008 * Festival of Fun! (PS2, Wii, Nintendo DS, PAL only) - 2009 Project Build It For a more comprehensive list, see List of Bob the Builder episodes. In the second season, a sort of spin-off series was created titled Bob the Builder: Project Build It. Bob hears of a contest to build a new community in a remote area called Sunflower Valley, outside of Bobsville. He moves from Bobsville (supposedly temporarily) with Wendy and the machines and builds a new Yard there. Bob convinces his father, Robert, to come out of retirement and take over the Bobsville building business. It is unknown whether Bob will return to Bobsville or not. For the US version of the Project Build-It series, different actors were found to do the voices for many of the human characters, including casting Greg Proops as the new voice of Bob, and Neil Morrissey, who played the original Bob, to be the voices of Spud the Scarecrow and Mr. Bentley. The show also added recycling and being environmentally friendly to its lessons, emphasising the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Ready, Steady, Build! The third spin-off was titled Bob the Builder: Ready, Steady, Build! It was created by Keith Chapman and Mallory Lewis. The group, now joined by newcomer Scratch are now residing in the town of Fixham Harbour (which is very similar to Bobsville, and is even implied to be Bobsville in several episodes), deal with construction and other building tasks around the area. Unlike previous series, Ready, Steady, Build! is animated in full CGI animation, which allows for larger and more elaborate construction projects that would be too large or expensive for the model sets of the stop-motion series, though it still retains the theme song.6 Voice actors Voice actors who have contributed to the original British version include Neil Morrissey, Rob Rackstraw, Kate Harbour, Rupert Degas, Colin McFarlane, Maria Darling, Emma Tate, Richard Briers, June Whitfield and Wayne Forester. Celebrities who have provided voices for the series (usually for one-off specials) include John Motson, Sue Barker, Kerry Fox, Ulrika Jonsson, Alison Steadman, Stephen Tompkinson, Elton John, Noddy Holder, and Chris Evans (Bobsville's resident rock star Lennie Lazenby). International broadcasts Bob the Builder is shown in more than thirty countries, and versions are available in English, French, Spanish, Slovenian, German, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Hindi and Croatian, among other languages. It is shown on CBeebies on BBC television in the UK. The North American version of the show uses the original British footage and script, but dubs the voices in American accents and slang; for example, the word "soccer" is used instead of "football" to avoid confusion with the gridiron forms of the game. The original North American voice of Bob (and Farmer Pickles/Mr. Beasley/Mr. Sabatini) was William Dufris, however, he was replaced with comedian Greg Proops. More recently, Bob's US voice has been provided by Marc Silk, an English voice actor from Birmingham.78 When being exported to Japan, it was reported that characters of Bob the Builder would be doctored to have five fingers instead of the original four. This was because of a practice among the Yakuza, the famed Japanese mafia, where members would "cut off their little fingers as a sign they can be trusted and have strength of character, and will stay through."9 In fact, Bob the Builder aired in Japan without such edits,10 as did other series including Postman Pat and The Simpsons. Discography Studio albums Singles Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications (sales threshold) Album AUS 17 IRE 12 UK 14 2000 "Can We Fix It?" 1 3 1 * AUS: 2× Platinum18 * UK: Gold16 Bob the Builder: The Album 2001 "Mambo No. 5" 2 4 1 * AUS: Platinum18 * UK: Gold16 2008 "Big Fish Little Fish" — — 81 Never Mind the Breeze Blocks "—" denotes releases that did not chart Repeats Bob the Builder has been shown on BBC1, BBC2 and BBC Choice since 1999. CBBC on Choice have broadcasted Bob the Builder quatrice premiering on Saturday 4th December 1999 at 11.25am, 1.25pm, 3.15pm and 5.25pm. Bob the Builder was also screened on Nick Jr on Saturday 2nd September 2000 at 4.30pm until 2011. CBeebies have also screened the series until recently. Category:Cbeebies